No one
knew of his birth save the companions in exile of the Great Emperor. All
of them, with the exception of Count Bertrand, believed, as Valmond said,
that the child had died in infancy at St. Helena.
"Prince Lucien had sworn to the mother that he would care personally for
the child, and he fulfilled his promise by making him a page in his
household, and afterwards a valet--base redemption of a vow.
"But even as Valmond drew our hearts to him, so at last he won Prince
Lucien's, as he had from the first won Prince Pierre's.
"It was not until after Valmond's death, when receiving the residue of
our poor friend's estate, that Prince Pierre learned the whole truth from
Count Bertrand. He immediately set sail for New York, and next week he
will secretly visit you, for love of the dead man, and to thank you and
our dear avocat, together with all others who believed in and befriended
his unfortunate kinsman.
"Ah, dear Cure, think of the irony of it all--that a man be driven,
by the very truth in his blood, to that strangest of all impostures
--to impersonate himself--He did it too well to be the mere comedian;
I felt that all the time.
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